Herbalism is the oldest system of medicine and still the most practiced worldwide. Herbalists believe in the synergy of the whole plant and reject the idea that it can be replicated in a laboratory. Medicinal properties come from natural compounds and herbs can be prepared in various ways.
Herbalism, also known as medical herbalism or botanical medicine, is one of the earliest systems of medicine in existence. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, herbalism has always been and continues to be the most practiced healing modality in the world. This is evidenced by the fact that many medical texts refer to herbalism as folk medicine, indicating that it is a branch of medicine studied and practiced by indigenous peoples of numerous cultures spanning history and the world. It is also demonstrated in modern pharmacology, as nearly half of all pharmaceutical drugs in use today are derived from botanical materials.
However, there are some common concepts shared by most herbalists. Most notably, the pharmacological activity obtained from the whole plant is more valuable than that expressed by any individual component extracted from its parts. Also, if any component is more or less powerful than the whole, the other components present will balance the scale, so to speak. This sense of botanical synergy is the essential difference between herbalism and conventional medicine, as the latter generally seeks to synthesize a pharmaceutical drug from an isolated plant extract. Of course, herbalists also reject the idea that this synergy can be replicated in a laboratory.
Herbs and plants owe their medicinal properties to a wide variety of natural compounds, which are often called phytochemicals and bioflavonoids. The most basic and pharmacologically active are terpenoids, glycosides, phenols and alkaloids. Medicines made from herbs are prepared in various ways. They can be ground whole into a powder and encapsulated, prepared as an infusion or tea, made into a decoction: roots and bark impregnated, or made into a tincture by alcohol extraction. Additionally, herbal remedies are also administered as ointments and poultices.
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